Re: How to install ACT 5 or 6 in Windows 7

I can't even get ACT 2000 to install on my 64 bit Win 7. I tried going directly to setup on the disk, but it did not work. Still got the "will not run on 64 bit" message. Any suggestions. I'm not super computer literate, so the simple the better. I did try going into the set up as admin, but, again, that did not work.

It would have been a real problem to not have it working as good as it does.

This topic has been put to bed a long time ago --- the only issue I have found is that it will not operate with versions of MS Word past 2002 (or maybe 2003). I believe that is because it doesn't recognize the signature of these versions, not that there is any other incompatibility. Whatever was done to recognize Word 2003 would fix ACT! 6 to run with later Office versions but as simple as the fix might be - it is no longer supported. Someone smarter than I might be able to hack the appropriate file to make that work -- any takers???????????? It isn't really important for what I do with it anyway but other may like it.

OH BTW - to install in Windows 7 - DO NOT USE THE SETUP FILE IN THE ROOT FOLDER.

Use the one that the setup file uses in the ACT folder - The problem is that the MENU file of the Root setup program is incompatible with Windows 7 and x64 bit. This is a common issue in a few older programs that I have.

I do not think I even needed to run it in compatibility mode or as admin, but if it does not run straight out u might try that.

BTW- I just found a note to myself and I don't remember if this is still needed, but if actdiag backup isn't working, this is why.

I had to put a shortcut to REGEDIT.EXE in the SysWOW64 folder from System32 folder to make ACTDIAG reg backups work.

It is possible that the file format has something to do with it, BUT I seriously doubt it. ACT simply opens Word as the external app rather than use its internal app. All it needs to do is know where/how to find and open it. Word does the rest and ACT then simply knows how to access the Word document by opening Word with the file as %1. It doesn't need to know anything else, like file formats, etc. Unfortuneately, when versions change the registry descriptors do to, so some programs lose touch because they are looking for indicators like "1234" or lower and the new version is 1235. Simply upping the version fixes most of this. I have fixed a number of programs (not ACT!) by finding/changing these type of descriptors and everything worked.

Lacking an expert in the internals of ACT this is a dead point.

Everything else about ACT!6 and W7 x86/x64 seems to work just fine.

just for reference, I started using ACT! when it was version 0.9 and they were giving it away. I modified files to make it look like I wanted - Something the original owners of ACT finally did in the 2.x version (I think) via the edit function for the CLY and GLY files. So I do have a little bit of knowledge RE this product pre version 7.